Posted on 10/13/2006 12:20:20 PM PDT by jmc1969
A Navy SEAL sacrificed his life to save his comrades by throwing himself on top of a grenade Iraqi insurgents tossed into their sniper hideout, fellow members of the elite force said.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor had been near the only door to the rooftop structure Sept. 29 when the grenade hit him in the chest and bounced to the floor, said four SEALs who spoke to The Associated Press this week on condition of anonymity because their work requires their identities to remain secret.
"He never took his eye off the grenade, his only movement was down toward it," said a 28-year-old lieutenant who sustained shrapnel wounds to both legs that day. "He undoubtedly saved mine and the other SEALs' lives, and we owe him."
Monsoor, a 25-year-old gunner, was killed in the explosion in Ramadi, west of Baghdad. He was only the second SEAL to die in Iraq since the war began.
Two SEALs next to Monsoor were injured; another who was 10 to 15 feet from the blast was unhurt. The four had been working with Iraqi soldiers providing sniper security while U.S. and Iraqi forces conducted missions in the area.
In an interview at the SEALs' West Coast headquarters in Coronado, four members of the special force remembered "Mikey" as a loyal friend and a quiet, dedicated professional.
Prior to his death, Monsoor had already demonstrated courage under fire. He has been posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his actions May 9 in Ramadi, when he and another SEAL pulled a team member shot in the leg to safety while bullets pinged off the ground around them.
(Excerpt) Read more at ksl.com ...
For sure...and given his Silver Star, he'll undoubtedly be the most decorated during the entire Iraq war.
Hero
Bless you, my brother.
Thank You, Lord, for creating such a man as he was.
Yes you are 100% right on that. This is a true AMERICAN HERO. thanks for the info. ...pandora
This man's picture should be next to 'hero' in the dictionary...and not some ball player or actor.
That was my thought too. This man was a REAL American. Thank you Mansoor!
Click the Pic
A true hero. God bless him. My prayers to his family.
Valor. Honor. Sacrifice.
This is the last FR posting I`ll read today. Everything else seems inconsequential, almost petty, in comparison.
Looking for a hanky now.
This SEAL went above and beyond, saving his comrades and deserves our honor and respect. They don't just pass out Silver Stars either.
God bless this fallen hero!
Does this include the Marines?
The only reason I ask I seem to remember in my historical readings at least a few incidents where this was the result.
God speed this true man in his next, greater phase of life
Fair winds and following seas, Sailor!!!!!
CORPORAL CHARLES J. BERRY UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS, for service as set forth in the following CITATION: "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Member of a Machine-Gun Crew, serving with the First Battalion, Twenty-sixth Marines, FIFTH Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces during the seizure of Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, on 3 March 1945. Stationed in the front lines, Corporal Berry manned his weapon with alert readiness as he maintained a constant vigil with other members of his gun crew during the hazardous night hours. When infiltrating Japanese soldiers launched a surprise attack shortly after midnight in an attempt to overrun his position, he engaged in a pitched hand-grenade duel, returning the dangerous weapons with prompt and deadly accuracy until an enemy grenade landed in the foxhole. Determined to save his comrades, he unhesitatingly chose to sacrifice himself and immediately dived on the deadly missile, absorbing the shattering violence of the exploding charge in his own body and protecting the others from serious injury. Stout-hearted and indomitable, Corporal Berry fearlessly yielded his own life that his fellow Marines might carry on the relentless battle against a ruthless enemy and his superb valor and unfaltering devotion to duty in the face of certain death reflect the highest credit upon himself and upon the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country."
A courageous sailor and fine example to us all. May God be merciful to him.
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